#with his prize winning jaynol named Socks

[fluffynexu]

WRATS

~In Memoriam~

Brief History

In 1025 Darth Feras, then Lord Jwinü, was on one of her exploration mission to the planet of Tatooine. There she came upon creatures known as “womp rats” (Tatooines rattus ferox). She was fascinated that even with the Force, she could barely sense them. After further investigation she realized these creature had a very basic grasp of using the Force to cloak themselves. This prompted Darth Feras to take considerable time studying them during her stay. She quickly discovered that the womp rats were feared and hated by almost all sentient beings that knew of them, especially among humans.

But while the greater galaxy saw these animals as loathsome pests, Darth Feras saw a misunderstood creatures that exhibited ferocity, stealth, and cunning, all of these were traits admired by the Sith. At the end of her mission on Tatooine, Darth Feras took a sizable colony of womp rats back to the Empire. For the next several decades, she used a combination of Sith Alchemy and selective breeding to tame, domesticate, and create various breeds of “wrats” (Drokaas rattus familiaris).

The new species of wrats quickly found themselves in high regard among the Sith as pets. After Darth Feras’s death, her students and apprentices continued the work with the wrats. They created and developed more breeds over the years, which led to the founding of the Sith Society for Wrats (SSW) in 1101. Eventually, the SSW officially changed its name to the Imperial Society of Wrat Fanciers (ISWF) in 1318. The organization continues to hold annual shows to recognize exceptional breeders and their specimens to this day.

Although wrats were once revered as pets exclusive to the Sith, the Empire has slowly allowed these animals to become the companions of average Imperial citizens over the course of many years. However the vast majority of wrat owners, especially of purebreds, are still Sith or high ranking Imperial officers.

Temperament

Temperament vary greatly between breeds and even between the individuals within a breed. But in general wrats are known to be highly intelligent, friendly toward their family, wary of strangers, curious, protective, fierce, and goofy. Being even slightly attuned to the Force makes them obedient and easily trainable, especially if the owner is a Sith. Because of this wrats can be used for various things aside from being “pampered pets”.

Biology

While the wild womp rats of Tatooine can grow up to 2-3 meters in length, their domesticated counterparts are smaller on average with a greater range in size. Reaching anywhere from 0.5-2 m in length, adult wrats can weigh 5-50 kg and stand between 25-110 cm tall. The average for all wrats lie somewhere between 75 cm long, 15 kg in weight, and 50 cm in height. With a Force sensitive owner they have long lifespans, up to 30 years, but with a non-Force user their lifespan tops out around 16 years.

Unlike womp rats which are polyestrous, wrats are monestrous and only breed once a year. Their gestation period is about 66 Imperial Standard Days with 4-6 pups born at a time. It takes a couple of months for the pups to be weaned and mature enough to be re-homed, and around 1-2 years of age is when a wrat reaches sexual maturity.

Like their wild counterparts, wrats are true omnivores capable of eating almost anything and everything, thus maintaining a proper diet is very important. Another retained trait from the wild womp rats is the continuous growth of their incisors. Owners must deal with this appropriately with adequate toys and objects for the wrat the chew on. Wrat teeth have been made more durable than their wild counterparts through the alchemic process, and they can gnaw through durasteel and permacrete if given enough time. The legendary bite of the womp rat was also retained, and wrats have very strong, painful bites with locking jaws that will not release unless the animal allows it.

Another trait altered from their wild brethren include a more refined vision. Wrats may have a better sight than womp rats, but both species still rely heavily on their sensitive hearing, smell, and touch. With four ears wrats can hear both above and below the hearing ranges of humans, allowing them to communicate and track prey more effectively. It’s also said that their sense of smell is second to that of akk dogs, making them suitable detection animals. They also have a full face of whiskers that are sensitive enough to feel subtle vibrations in the air.

Variations in Appearance

Wrats come in a wide variety of colors, patterns, sizes, and shapes. Some of these looks are set into a specific breed while many can be seen across multiple breeds.

Eye Colors

Wrat eyes primarily come in two colors: red and black. Their eyes can be red, black, or one of each. They can also have pink or blue as eyes, but those colors are considered extremely rare and are usually linked to a genetic defect.

Ear Placements

Wrat ears are placed in one of three ways on their head: top, side, or drooped. The top eared variety is the most common. Ears on the side are sometimes more rounded and give the wrat a “cuter” face. Droop eared wrats cannot perk up the ears the way top eared ones can and are the least common ear type.

Head Shape

The head shape of wrats can be mesocephalic, brachycephalic, or dolichocephalic. The shapes are more commonly referred to as round/regular, flat/smushed, or pointed/long.

Round/regular is the most common head shape among wrats, followed by pointed/long and then by flat/smushed. Some flat faced wrat breeds over-exaggerate the “smush” effect from years of selective breeding and can often contribute to health problems such as labored breathing or the potential for eyes dislocating from the sockets.

Tail Types

Most wrat tails are “hairless”, coming in the single or split variety. But they can also be short, with a bit of fur, or fully furred.

Coat Types There are four different types of coats found in domesticated wrats: short/self, long/silky, wired/curly, or bald/hairless.

Short haired is the most common type of fur found among wrats. The short coat is comprised of true fur which only grow to a certain length before being shed and replaced.

Long haired coats only show up in a few breeds such as the luxurian or silken. The long coat is comprised of hair which differs from short fur in that it will grow continuously. This means that any long haired wrats need maintenance or vanity cuts for the fur coats.

Wire haired wrats are also fairly uncommon. Their fur also does not shed nearly as much as a short hair and should feel rough and bristly when compared to the silky and smooth textures of long and short hair.

Hairlessness is only found breed, the finx. Despite the name, no wrat is truly hairless. Finx wrats still retain their whiskers and some even have small patches of ultra fine fur. But any other wrat that displays hairlessness, whether in patches or on the whole body, is considered a product of genetic mutation.

Body Sizes and Shapes Wrats range vastly in size. The smallest breed of wrat weighs in under 5 kg while the largest breed can exceed over 50 kg. While any body shape can be found at any size, for the most part the two traits are interlinked. This leads to the general categories of: large/tall, medium/regular, and small/dwarf.

Tall wrats have elongated legs, making them better at running which in turn makes them excellent trackers and hunters. Their longer limbs do not hinder their ability to climb, which has come in handy in the jungles of Dromund Kaas. Most tall breeds are larger than the average wrat, but some of them can be small in size with while maintaining the tall body shape.

Medium wrats are considered the norm when it comes to the shape. While they’re not as adept at running long distances like their taller brethren, they are still quite agile and many breeds of regular wrats that are used for hunting or guarding. Wrats with this body shape generally fall within 10-20 kg, making them not too big and not too small for most owners.

Dwarf wrats are affected by a genetic condition called achondroplasia, which is the same kind of dwarfism found among sentient species such as humans. The condition greatly shortens their limbs, causing them to appear “stumpy”. Though a large wrat can be a dwarf, most dwarf breeds were also bred down to smaller sizes and mainly serve as lap pets.

Coat Colors Currently, there are 14 base colors seen in wrats. Of course, a wrat can have multiple colors in many different patterns so the possible looks are nearly endless.

Coat Patterns There are many different patterns found on wrats, but the most common are: masked, capped, hooded, striped, point, spotted, solid, underbelly, blaze, chestguard, tricolor, robed, bareback, top stripe, patched, caped, suited, belted, lined, and hind striped.

Masked: Band of color over the eyes, extending to sides of the face. Rest of the body should be white or a lighter color than the mask.

Capped: Entire head is a darker color than the rest of the body.

Hooded: The head and back are colored while the rest of the body is white.

Striped: Dark vertical (cranial to caudal) stripes run down the entire body. Face should be bare of any markings. The stripes are a darker color than the base fur coat.

Point: The nose/jawline as well as the lower limbs of the wrat are a lighter color than the body, and if the tail is furred, the tip of the tail should match the light fur color. The body is typically black in color.

Spotted: Body and spots can be any color, but the spots must appear to be speckled or splattered. Any color for the spots and body, they just need to be different.

Solid: One solid color for the entire body.

Underbelly: Head, neck, chest and belly should all be a darker color than the rest of the body.

Blaze: Refers to a specific pattern on the face. There should be a patch of white or light coloring on the nose and up to the forehead.

Chestguard: A patch of fur lighter than the rest of the body should be on the chest.

Tricolor: There must be three distinct colors manifesting in any of the following patterns - robed, suited, hooded, belted, spotted, top stipe, or patched. Thus this pattern includes any of the ones listed.

Robed: One darker color for the dorsal side of the body and a lighter one for the ventral side.

Bareback: The head and shoulders are a darker color than the rest of the body.

Top Stripe: A thin line, usually black but can be other dark colors, runs down from forehead to the base of the tail. The rest of the body should be lighter in color.

Patched: Large, round patterns appearing at random all across the body. These patches and the body should be different colors.

Caped: A thick, broad band of dark color runs down the back. Head should be bare and match with rest of the body.

Suited: From part of the face as well as the ventral side should be white while the rest of the body is one solid dark color.

Belted: There must be a distinct band going all the way around the wrat’s midsection.

Lined: Similar to striped, but the stripes have dotted lines within them as well.

Hind Striped: Dark horizontal stripes appearing only on the back end of the wrat.

Breeds

Though many of the wrat breeds were bred to fulfill the purpose of “household pets”, there are some that possess “multi functional” properties. These wrats are used to fulfill other “jobs” aside from being pampered pets. Some of the more recognizable breeds are the moraban which are used commonly by Inquisitors, and the ibalken for executions, or warmarr for battles.

The ISWF currently recognizes 36 official breeds, though there are many ‘mixed’ and ‘common mutts’ that exist but left uncategorized. For a new breed to be recognized it must first be created by a Sith alchemist or breeder and pass the scrutiny of the ISWF standards.

In Society and Culture

Since their domestication, wrats have gone to influence many aspects of Sith and Imperial culture. There are countless examples of wrats depicted as symbols and mascots being known throughout the Empire.

Nidsey The most notable and beloved name in regards to “wrats in entertainment” is Rolt Nidsey.

In 1221 he began his Nidsey Entertainment Company that has since grown exponentially. What began as a series of short stories of Wilsor and Wenny Wrat quickly turned into an ever expanding list of beloved classic tales within the Empire. Because of the popularity of Nidsey and the characters of the stories it produces, there was an island on Dromund Kaas that was developed into an attraction called Nidsey Nation while the moon of Dromund Fels is currently being terraformed for Nidsey Realm.

Some of the many, many stories that have endured over the past century are: P1N0CC1-1I0, The Maiden and the Monster, Star Bright, The Little Voidling, The Mowhef King, The Mutant of the Citadel, 101 Daleshuns, The Forest Tome, Ashlenna, Slumbering Sith, and Saber in the Stone.

Wrathful Wrats Another incredibly popular and beloved group of wrats come in the form of a long running cartoon known as the Wrathful Wrats. The series follows the Fearsome Four, a group of extraordinary wrats that face off against the many enemies of the Empire.

Though the Four are the main cast, the show also has many other characters and cameos of popular icons in Imperial culture. Since the show has been on air for a while, the main cast is also swapped for new characters.

Plushables! Wrats are often a popular design for children’s toys and dolls. The most popular in the Empire are a certain brand of plush dolls called Plushables!. Aside from the famous cartoon icons such as the main cast of the Wrathful Wrats, many notable Sith are often turned into wrat version of themselves for these toys.

The Sith that are turned into these dolls are almost, always Darths. Since these are seen as special collector’s items, the company discontinues sales of the doll if the Sith dies. The only exception being when they do a limited release of Historical Figures.

The Fat Wrat Very few restaurants can boast about quality and quantity. The Fat Wrat is one of the few eating establishments that can truthfully make this claim.

The restaurant started with a Sith by the name of Lord Curay and his wrat, Raly, who had an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell. With the help of some of his Imperial counterparts, Lord Curay started a small and exclusive eatery that only hosted the elite of the Empire. All of the ingredients purchased were said to be inspected by Raly, leading to some of the best dishes served in the Empire, if not the galaxy.

After Lord Curay’s (and Raly’s) death, the restaurant opened its doors to anyone and everyone in the Empire. In addition, a buffet was added to the restaurant that serves food from all over the galaxy. Patrons can choose to either eat from the buffet or À la carte with prices starting at 150 credits for a lunch buffet and the average main entree at 75 credits (without adding any drinks, appetizers, or desserts).

The Fat Wrat is also notable for never taking any reservations and functions on a first come, first serve basis. The only exception to the no reservations rule is if the Emperor himself wished to dine there or if at least half of the entire Dark Council were to book a time.

Sith Culture Since wrats originally started as exclusive pets for the Sith, it’s no surprise that the Sith have adapted new art and customs regarding these animals.

With any kind of subject, wrats have been depicted in paintings, sculptures, carvings, writings, and even as decorative designs on lightsaber hilts of some Sith.

It is common to see large and small statues of beloved family pets placed inside the home, in a garden, or even guarding family tombs.

Wrats have become such treasured pets to the Sith, some are even considered as part of the family. So when a wrat owned by a Sith passes away, their body is handled in one of two ways: mummification or cremation.

Regardless of whether or not the wrat is mummified or cremated, their remains are often stored within family tombs or vaults. Imperials don’t mummify their pets, but cremation and burials is how they proceed to mourn their wrats. Since burials are more common with Imperial owners, there’s a Wrat Cemetery, a series of small, hovering landmasses over the northwest corner of Kosqam. Although it is called a Wrat Cemetery, any animal companion can be buried there. 

a HUGE thanks to @thegarbagechute!!! seriously. ;-; this would not have been possible without gelly being super awesome and patient and wonderful! BLESS~

please !! see notes below the cut!

in loving memory of Darwin, and all my other boos that have since gone over the rainbow bridge... ;-;

this is my love letter to the two greatest “loves” of my life: rats and star wars. (also, carrie fisher made the point of “more pets in star wars!” and i 100% agree. so a part of this is for you carrie~ *blows kiss to the stars*)

this took a while. i’m talking.... 4-5 (?) months. but man, gelly did a fantastic job on all the art! D: pls give them some love!! (in a weird coincidence, the very last piece of art was completed and sent a few hours before darwin passed... i wasn’t sure how to feel about that tbh)

anyway! WRATS! they’re your cat/dog/kowakian-monkey-lizard all rolled into one! x3

lord jwinü comes from the words 쥐 (jwi) and 女(nǚ). which is korean for rat and mandarin for woman. yes. her name is literally lord rat-lady (aka ME lol)

i stated how the sith, and by in large the empire as a whole, really like these animals. bc... well why wouldn’t they? lol. and they would be of a different culture than the republic and what we see irl. how certain animals are seen and portrayed really does depend on the culture. so it didn’t seem like that much of a stretch that the empire would like cute, adorable, murderous ratties. (as for the imperial npcs shooting at womp rats on tatooine, i feel like it’s like how ppl differentiate between doggos and wild coyotes.)

omg, the breeds. the stupid breeds! DX i would’ve like to get more done but i ran out of thinking juice ;-; (i seriously gave up half way thru) if and of y’all have ideas and want to create your own wrat breed, please! send me an ask or message with all the fields filled out and i’ll add it to the list. >3<

regarding the colors. if it says lighter/darker, i mean any color and not just default white or black. ex, i put down “head, neck, chest and belly should all be a darker color than the rest of the body” for the underbelly pattern and it shows and black and white wrat. but the darker color could be red and the lighter color could be ember. see what i’m trying to say? (as in, these are colorful bunch of critters!)

and in case it wasn’t super obvious... shameless disney reference xD brownie points to anyone who can correctly name all the rl counterparts to those movies (it’s not hard and i wasn’t being particularly creative lol) the fearsome four are based on, you guessed it, the four imperial classes of swtor hehe. no they don’t have names bc i was too lazy to think of them. maybe someday... soonish? idk there’s a joke among the sith that “you know you made it in the empire when you get turned into one of these *holds mini me wrat doll*” i figure the sith are not only the leaders of govt, but also high profile celebrities (in some cases) and “hero” figures. you know, things the propaganda mill can use to inspire~ the empire, starting with its kids. (only when they get older do they realize that some sith are fucking bat shit crazy and will choke, stab, or zap you for shits and giggles >,< ) shameless ratatouille ref xU (sorta lol) and ofc, the sith are a ppl that’s super into feelings and attachments. so they’d get attached to their pets and i took inspo from how ancient egyptians would mummify and mourn their cats. (i get it man bc me... too.....)

if you’re wondering... YES, your republic character can have a wrat. bc for one, like i always says, YOU DO YOU FRIEND! c: and two. smugglers are a thing in this setting lol. but, i imagine should the republic character get into a situation where they have to mingle with imperial characters they’d try to hide the wrat bc the wrats are seen as empire only pets. (sorta, kinda like how china owns ALL the pandas in the world. even the ones born outside of china, but the country that has them still has to send them back if china asks. it’s... a weird diplomacy thing the chinese govt does with pandas and i’m not gonna get into the details of that rn lol)